High risk sex offenders and violent criminals could continue being released half-way through their prison sentence up to two years after the Government announced the abolition of Ulster’s controversial 50% remission scheme.

The final stages of the Criminal Justice Bill were passed in the Dáil, last night, by a vote of 62 to 11. The bill was opposed by Sinn Féin, the Greens and a number of Independents, while Fine Gael and Labour abstained.

The Crime Victims Helpline has reported a 60% increase in calls during the first three months of this year. The service, which offers support to people who fall victim to

Talks between health service employers and nursing unions resume this morning under the auspices of the National Implementation Body. The fresh round of discussions got under way yesterday afternoon at Government Buildings.

The Irish Nurses Organisation and Psychiatric Nurses Association have agreed to suspend a planned escalation of one-hour work stoppages in over 50 hospitals due to take place later this week. The announcement was made after talks between the nursing unions and the National Implementation Body.

The Irish Health Service has come under increasing pressure with the news that hospital consultants are to be balloted on possible industrial action. The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) took the decision yesterday and if approved by the 1600 members the action will take place on May 21.

The Northern Ireland chief inspector of schools is expected to say vulnerable and low achieving pupils need more help in schools and training organisations. Marian Matchett is due to sum up what her team of inspectors found over two school years.

A scam to steal people’s medical details to secure prescriptions for the heroin substitute drug, diazepam, has been uncovered in County Antrim. Last week, a 77-year-old woman got a phone call, allegedly from a Ballymena health centre.

An Ulster professor has urged parents to consider buying organic after new tests revealed potentially cancer-causing chemicals were found on fruit given to millions of children each day.

A meeting of 450 consultants passed a motion of no confidence against Minister for Health Mary Harney and agreed to ballot members on a campaign of action. The Irish Hospital Consultants Association action would include a ban on meetings with top Health Service managers and a withdrawal from some administrative duties.